The invention relates generally to deorbit of spacecraft and more particularly to passive electrodynamic and aerodynamic drag.
Currently, satellite systems rely upon rockets for deorbit. This requires propellant masses reserved for deorbit that are a significant fraction of the spacecraft's dry mass.
Potential competitive devices may include other electrodynamic tether systems or inflatable or deployable drag-enhancement devices. The passive electrodynamic drag effect was first observed in the Echo balloon experiments.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.